Italian media are saying, based on insider reports, Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet came in second in the secret conclave balloting.
If accurate, this could set Ouellet up for a powerful position inside the Vatican — and even, depending on the timing, for a strong run at the next conclave, when Pope Francis either dies or steps down.
The stories suggest a big part of the reason Argentine Cardinal Bergoglio was elected pope on Wednesday was ... Read More …

This morning the Vatican’s main press officer — a Canadian named Father Tom Rosica — chose to head off some negative stories about Pope Francis before they gain too much momentum.
Nobody disputes that then-Cardinal Bergoglio, like most other Argentines, failed to openly confront Argentina’s 1976-1983 military junta as it kidnapped and killed thousands of people in a so-called “dirty war” to eliminate leftist opponents.
But opinions differ on how much responsibility the new pope ... Read More …

Although some Canadians are disappointed Quebec Cardinal Marc Ouellet was not elected pope, those who yearn for a fresh breeze from the Vatican are pleased with the new Latin American pontiff.
A new Catholic focus on the developing world began Wednesday with the historic elevation of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, the first Jesuit ever elected as Supreme Pontiff and the first from the Americas.
Canadian immigrants, as well as Catholics who ... Read More …

UPDATE: The white smoke is billowing from the Vatican. We will find out in a few minutes who shall become pope and whether he will be the kind of man who will respond to the needs of some of the Canadian Catholics below.
Today’s column:
Prominent Canadians hope the next pope will be a man of energy, courage, openness and real concern for the suffering of the world’s poor.
Four diverse Christians, three of whom ... Read More …

The experts at Religion News Service have conducted a fun and revealing conclave of their own – gathering the votes of 40,000 people on who should be elected the next pope.
Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet came in second. Sadly, at least for those Canadians seeking greater global attention.
The winner of the papal tournament was Cardinal John Onaiyekan of Nigeria. Good for him, even though he isn’t receiving much papabile attention otherwise. Perhaps today, Wednesday, ... Read More …

John O’Brien, a Vancouver Jesuit, has spent a lot of time with two of the cardinals considered front-runners to become pope.
The instructor at Vancouver’s Corpus Christi College has had many interactions in Rome with Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet and Italian Cardinal Angela Scola. Both were intimately involved in today’s first vote at the Vatican, which did not reach a conclusion as judged by the black smoke coming today from the chimney.
O’Brien remembers rich ... Read More …

A strong majority of North America Roman Catholics want a more “liberal” pope and seek an end to Vatican bans on artificial contraception, married priests and female ordination, according to an Angus Reid Public Opinion poll released Monday.
Vancouver-based pollster Mario Canseco, a practising Catholic like his boss, Angus Reid, said the cross-border poll points to clear ways the cardinal who will be elected pope this week could bring wayward Catholics back to the fold.... Read More …

Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, a leading contender to be elected pope beginning Tuesday, was this week reflecting about the future of women in the Roman Catholic church.
Although Ouellet said he would like to see women continue to take leadership roles in Catholicism, the Quebec cardinal declared women should not be ordained priests.
Ouellet is highly educated, charming and savvy. But his remarks showed how out of step Catholicism’s top prelates are with most ... Read More …

Canada has a cardinal in the running to be elected pope beginning next Tuesday. But Canada is only a mid-sized player on the global Catholic scene.
Quebec Cardinal Marc Ouellet is currently being named as a front-runner in virtually all the major English-language media outlets. His odds now run at 10 to 1 at PaddyPower, the gambling giant. That means Ouellet’s odds have fallen from 4-1 when Pope Benedict resigned. Nevertheless, it’s all grist for ... Read More …

If Quebec Cardinal Marc Ouellet is elected pope, what would the world discover about Canadian Catholicism?
Here are some answers:
CATHOLIC INFLUENCE ON CANADIAN POLITICS
The days of Catholic bishops calling the political shots in Canada faded after the Quiet Revolution in Quebec in the 1960s.
Even though six of eight of Canada’s last prime ministers have been Catholic, they were all small-l liberals, especially on sexual morality. They brought in freedom-oriented laws on divorce, ... Read More …

The odds are strong – seven to two – that Canada will next month become much more famous.
Two big British bookmakers are putting serious money on a Canadian horse: Ladbrokes and PaddyPower are betting that Marc Ouellet, a cardinal from Quebec, could be elected pope at the March conclave.
If that happens, Canada’s Catholic roots and its supposedly polite, multi-faith culture will be thrust into the international spotlight.
The interest has already arrived. Popular ... Read More …

A pope has not come from outside Europe for more than 1,500 years. And it’s unlikely to happen again soon – because of the static structure of the College of Cardinals.
The world’s Catholic population has dramatically changed since 1910, according to new data from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
But the makeup of the College of Cardinals, whose 116 members will be voting for the next pontiff in mid-March, have not ... Read More …

Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze is being ranked by bookmakers as one of the top three contenders to become the next pope, along with Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet. Now 80, Arinze visited Vancouver 12 years ago. He stressed the importance of inter-faith dialogue, particularly of maintaining relations with Muslims following 9/11.
UPDATE: Read text of live chat on Pope and his possible successor – 10 a.m. Wednesday PST
RELATED: Canadians buzzing over high odds on ... Read More …

I’ll be taking part in a live Postmedia chat at 10 a.m. PST Wednesday.
I’ll be discussing the sudden resignation of Pope Benedict on Monday, as well as the prospect that Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet is a front-runner to replace him during the next papal election, expected in March. We’ll be joined by Queen’s University professor John Young and Carleton prof. Zeba Crook. This is my first time for such a thing. Should be interesting.... Read More …

Surprised Canadian Catholics are buzzing with excitement as speculation runs rampant that a Quebec cardinal is the leading contender to replace the retiring Pope.
Hours after Pope Benedict XVI stunned the world Monday morning with his plan to retire on Feb. 28, media outlets spread the news that two major British bookmakers ranked Canadian cardinal Marc Ouellet as either the first or second man most likely to succeed the pontiff.
Feb. 13 update: Satirist Stephen ... Read More …

The world’s 1.1 billion Roman Catholics, not to mention many other people around the world, are reeling in light of today’s announcement by Pope Benedict XVI that he will be resigning in the next couple of weeks. It’s the first time a pope has ever resigned in office.
From a Canadian perspective, the big related news is that Quebec Cardinal Marc Ouellet has been ranked by a leading Irish bookmaker, Paddy Power, as having the ... Read More …

UPDATE: MARCH 14, 2013: This archived post takes on new significance today, following yesterday’s election of Cardinal Bergoglio as Supreme Pontiff. I had wondered why Bergoglio, who named himself Pope Francis, had fallen off the radar of so many Vatican watchers, since he did well in the 2005 conclave.
At one point during the secret 2005 election, Ratzinger had only 72 votes compared to 45 for the little-known Argentine cardinal.
Catholic Liberalism faces new hurdle... Read More …

At 78, short papacy possible: Canada’s Cardinal Ouellet was talked of as compromise candidate if Ratzinger’s age a concern
Vancouver Sun ARCHIVES
Wed. April 20, 2005.
Byline: Douglas Todd
Dateline: ROME
ROME — From a Canadian perspective, it could turn out to be one of the most important moments in the history of papal elections in a long time, because the election of 78-year-old Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger likely heralds a short papacy.
And that means ... Read More …

UPDATE Feb. 11, 2013: Canadian cardinal given top odds to become next pope
Given that a leading British bookmaker this week cited 40-1 odds that Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet could be elected the next pope, readers may be interested in this extensive interview I did with him in 2003 in Rome.
It’s interesting that Ouellet’s belief the next pope would be from South America, a continent he knows well, did not pan out. Although ... Read More …